


A Matter of Charity

by Charaiosity (Kundiman)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions
Genre: "We need more salty readers" -My sister 2k16, F/M, For best effect listen to Electro Swing, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, M/M, Other, Reader is a Coordinator, Reader isn't so much a tsundere than they are a pillar of salt, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 13:46:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6756580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kundiman/pseuds/Charaiosity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You prided yourself on your self-sufficiency.  But sometimes, you learn that there's no shame in accepting help every so often.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Matter of Charity

Caves were both a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, they were dank, dark, and dusty.  The floor was irritatingly uneven, your clothes would snag on a rock jutting out from the wall every so often, and something about the darkness make the resident wild Pokemon eager to jump out at you for Arceus knows what reason, though with a Mawile at your side that wasn’t much of a fright as it was an annoyance. 

However, on the other hand, they served as good housing in a pinch, like when you didn’t have enough cash to pay your rent and were thusly kicked out (not that it happens to you often), and to those patient enough to look, they often contained delightful goodies such as gems and precious metals, and chances are you could find enough to pay off the aformented rent and live in a proper four-walled house with a roof (not that you’d know much about that).

And so it were that you were stuck in such a place, _patiently_ digging away at the corner of the wall, hoping to find something worth your while.  Titania, your Mawile and your partner-in-crime since forever, was helping you lighten the burden by doing some digging of her own, bless her soul.  Every so often she would make a happy little noise and shuffle over to your bags, presumably to put her findings away for safekeeping.  You would pat her on the head, thank her for her aid, and she would promptly go back to digging.

Your face scrunched up at the thought of your precious Titania having to dig through the dirt like a common wild Pokemon.  Titania was more than this; she was a star, a contest idol!  And damn it, she deserved to be treated as such!  Sadly, the population of contest enthusiasts don’t seem to share that sentiment with you.  It wasn’t that she was a bad performer; you also fancied yourself a decent coordinator.  But even a star that shone as brightly as she did paled in the face of the sun.  A very fluffy blue-and-white sun who can Mega Evolve because of his coordinator’s _sponsors_.  And the audience laps it up like a school of dehydrated Magikarp.

You made an irritated noise.  It wasn’t your fault that you didn’t have the _funds_ to just walk into the shop and purchase a Mega Stone on credit.  Maintaining Titania to Contest standards was costly enough.  Heck, neither did Lisia; she was just some girl from Sootopolis who happened to know the right people.  If you had been born with the same luck, you’re sure you and Titania would be relaxing in a posh penthouse right now instead of muddying your hands just so that maybe, you two will be able to eat today.

And yet, for all your misgivings about the universe being unfairly biased to the blue belle dame, you were proud of the way you lived.  For as long as you can remember, it had just been you and Titania against the world.  You fought and clawed your way out of the streets, and your shoddy little apartment was a far cry from what you’ve lived with in the early days of your life (you only needed to get it back).  After all, whoever thought that the grubby kid who stared up longingly at the illustrious building of the Contest Hall would parade proudly in it several years later (albeit with less opulent garments than the standard)?  No, your successes are your own, and you intend to keep it that way.  You started this with only Titania by your side; this is how you will finish it.  So you dug. And dug.  And dug some more.

A mass of broken shards and rocks later, your chisel made a clinking sound against the wall.  Curious and slightly anxious, you carefully extracted a small, jagged crystal, glowing pink and black and yellow, from its resting place.  With trembling fingers, you turned it this way and that, admiring the cat’s eye effect that your lantern seemed to cast on it.  Needless to say, it was the most beautiful thing you’ve seen in your life, aside from Titania’s appeals.

Speaking of whom, you called her over excitedly to show her your find.  Her eyes seem to light up upon seeing it, and she made a motion begging you to let her hold it.  You noticed how she accepted it with an almost reverential manner, and you gently took it from her lest she decide to keep it.  The mewl she made when you retrieved it from her grasp almost broke your heart into a million pieces, but certain needs come first.  Surely a beautiful gem like this would fetch a high price in the shop; you probably wouldn’t worry about your rent for the next three months, and you told her as much.  Sadly, she nodded in understanding, and this time you actually felt your heart break.

“Let her keep it.  It’s much more valuable in her possession than it is in a shop.”

Heads spinning at the sound of the voice, you and Titania shifted into a protective stance around your belongings.  Unscrupulous treasure hunters who had no qualms about looting your stuff were nothing new to you, and you’d protect your newly-mined meal tokens alongside your Pokemon with all the ferocity you can muster.

The man seemed to start at your pair’s sudden viciousness, and he held up his hands to show that he meant no harm.  As your adrenaline high subsided and your thought processes grew clearer, you assessed your uninvited guest with logic rather than instinct. 

The first thing you noted is how unsuited his ensemble was for spelunking; the last time you checked, a three-piece suit wasn’t the best thing to wear in a cave. 

The next thing you noticed was how _opulent_ said outfit was.  It looked like it was made from the same materials as the outfits of the more well-off coordinators back in Lilycove.  And the rings on his fingers could probably straight-up _buy_ your apartment and more if you sold them. 

The last thing you noticed was how he simultaneously _did_ and _did not_ fit the affluence that his outfit spoke of.  _Did_ because of how he carried himself, with a poise and bearing that only came naturally to those born into wealth.  _Did not_ because of how irritatingly _kind_ his expression was; in your schema, rich people were haughty, holier-than-thou individuals, who liked to look down on you with their noses held high and judged your worth by the people that you know and the toys you would showboat.  “Haughty” was the last word you would use to describe the way he regarded you right now.  The steely grey of his eyes didn’t affect the softness of his gaze or his smile.  There was a word for the expression he was carrying; you’ve seen it before, somewhere.

And then it came to you.

The way he looks at you now is the way Lisia looked at you when you first entered a contest with her, and she effortlessly took first place even if you and Titania have been trying your darnest throughout the contest to no avail.

His expression was that of sympathy.

He was _pitying_ you.

And with that thought, whatever goodwill you might have thought of him evaporated like a puddle on a midsummer’s afternoon, and you squared your shoulders and hardened your gaze even more.

He must have noticed this, since his expression went from irritatingly kind to irritatingly sad.  You almost felt bad upsetting him, even.  You bit your tongue to chide yourself.  Oh no, no, no, _no_.  You weren’t going to fall for the age-old wounded gazelle gambit.  One of the first things you learn when living on the streets is that everyone is out for their own, and will do anything to improve their situation, even if it’s at your expense.  Has living in a proper house for so long made you soft?  You shifted your stance a bit, still protective, still skeptical, but a little bit more _tolerant_ of an explanation.

With a slightly-relieved smile, he carefully continued, pointing at the gem in your hands.

“That isn’t just an ordinary gem you found.  That’s a Mega Stone, a Mawilite to be precise.  If you let her keep it, she can Mega Evolve with the aid of a Key Stone.”

At this, your expression changed drastically from irritation to shock.  Just as drastically did you momentarily forget about your guest, bringing your attention to the uncut stone in your once-again trembling hands.  Possibilities swarmed in your head.  Mega Evolution!  That always made the crowds go wild when Lisia did it!  Your imagination whipped up a fantasy of Titania on the center of the contest stage.  There’s a hush in the crowd, as she performs her appeal… and at the climax of her performance, a bright ball of light engulfs her… and Titania emerges, Mega Evolved, triumphant, shining as bright as the sun!  The crowds go wild!  Titania is victorious!  You see yourself standing proudly beside her, basking in the success that the two of you have been working so hard for; have been long due for.  Contracts will come in left and right, and you two would never have to worry about going hungry again…

…It was then that you remembered the present company, which brought you down from cloud nine to terra firma pretty quickly.  For a second there, you were afraid you accidentally ate the Mawilite, since you swore you felt its heavy weight drop painfully into your guts.  You regarded the man with suspicion once again, prompting him to take a half-step back, presumably to be wary lest your bite turn out to be worse than your bark.  At the very least, this is something Titania can attest to, so good on him for putting ~~sanity~~ , er, safety first, you supposed.

“And how do I know you’re not just pulling my leg?  I’ve been around long enough to know that you should question random acts of kindness.”

He seemed surprised at this declaration of yours, but he just gave you yet another irritatingly kind smile and addressed your query.

“I have no reason to lie to you.  Nor do I have any intention to steal from you.  I’m here simply to search for Mega Stones myself, but I don’t intend to take yours.  You found it first, after all.”

You just continued to glare at him.  With that, he finally got the message and moved to leave you to your peace.  You had almost began to relax, when he seemed to remember something and stopped to take a stickpin inlaid with a small gem from the lapels of his suit, and extended it to you.  Raising an eyebrow at him, he smiled good-naturedly for the nth time, which did not help your irritation any, and explained himself.

“This is a Key Stone.  It is the stone from your end that will allow you to Mega Evolve your Mawile.  I would like you to have it.”

“And I would like a Mossdeep City Cocktail right now, but we can’t all have what we want, can we?”

You almost instantly regretted saying this, as this seems to have amused him judging by the light chuckle that came from him (even his _laughter_ is charmingly aristocratic, damn him) and the fact that this made you seem approachable enough to make him feel comfortable coming up to you to offer the Key Stone from a closer distance.  Determined to make him just _leave_ already, you plucked the stickpin from his fingers, which seemed to satisfy him enough to _finally_ buzz off.  With a wave of his hand, he bid you a farewell that you didn’t return, and left you and Titania to the solitude of your cave away from home.

Once your indignation at the past few minutes’ turn of events fully subsided, you took the moment to fully examine the Key Stone in your possession.  It shone the same cat’s eye effect as the Mawilite, albeit a bit more pronounced due to its circular cut, and shone with as many colors of the rainbow as your slowly-dimming lantern allowed you to see.  Titania walked up to you and tugged at your clothing, signaling her intention to hold the Mega Stone once more.  With a smile that you could almost call giddy, you handed it over with as much finesse as your excitement allowed you to, moved to stand a few feet away from Titania, and activated your new Key Stone.

–

Several months later, after a show and a string of successful contests, thanks in no small part to your new Mega Evolution routines that you two spent long hours tirelessly practicing and perfecting, you sat alone but triumphant in the dressing room of the Contest Hall, the star of the evening resting in her Pokeball.  You haven’t beaten Lisia yet, sure, but you noticed how closer and closer your scores were becoming in the Contests where you competed against her.  You’ve been rapidly rising the ranks of the Contest world, and people have begun to notice.  The city was abuzz with the talk of the new rising stars, Titania and her Coordinator.  You were winning regularly enough now to afford to move into a nicer home, one that you can actually call your own without worrying about rent or angering the landlord and getting kicked out.  You looked at your reflection in the mirror.  Your costumes were a bit nicer, your makeup slightly smudged from your tears of joy on the stage, and you face glowing with happiness for the first time in a long time, since you first entered the Contest Hall.  It all still felt like a dream, honestly.

A quick succession of knocks on the door woke you up from your daze and reminded you that, _yes, this is actually real_ , when the door opened a bit and a stagehand poked their head through, informing you of an absolutely massive bouquet and a brown package addressed to you.  You thanked him, brought the spoils of war onto your table, and rifled through the bushels of peach and pink roses in full bloom for a card, none of which you found.  You eyed the bouquet questioningly before turning your attention to the package, hoping to maybe find the return address there.  Divesting the box of its wrapping, you were surprised to find an absolutely beautiful brooch, though it seemed to be missing a circular gem in the center, with an envelope tucked away in a corner.  Managing to open the fiddly thing despite your apprehension and anxiety, you unfolded the letter, a slow blush of indignation, and, loathe as you are to admit it, gratification, encompassing your face as you peruse its irritatingly, finely-written contents.

_To the star of the evening,_

_I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations on your most recent triumph.  I confess that I do not often pay attention to the world of Contests, though a dear friend of mine insisted that I might like to see one of the Contests of the Coordinator and their Mawile Titania who recently burst into the scene with a magnificent Mega Evolution routine.  I was pleasantly surprised that they were the ones whom I have been acquainted with some time ago, and I am pleased still to learn that they have been sharing with Hoenn the wonderful gift of their talents to the stage.  I look forward to many more of your performances, and I hope that one day I may be able to meet with you again, perhaps over a pair of Mossdeep City Cocktails._

_The brooch I have sent you may be inlaid with a Key Stone.  I hope that you find it to your liking._

_With much admiration,_

_Steven Stone_

**Author's Note:**

> -  
> Okay, I wrote this all in one sitting today and WHEW I'M TIRED. I was just struck with sudden inspiration and I had to write it down before I lost my groove. Sadly, it came at the expense of my schoolwork hahahahaha I should be doing my thesis revisions.
> 
> While this is my first reader-insert fic, I've been (secretly) reading a ton, and a bunch of times the reader is a blank slate, and I can appreciate that, but I really like it when the reader has a personality and history of their own.
> 
> Also, I really do recommend you listen to Electro Swing while reading it; it was the mood I was in when I was writing it. I recommend the songs of Caravan Palace and Parov Stelar.


End file.
